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Fishing Colorado River (Upper): what the data says
Pumphouse to State Bridge: the float-fishing heart of the upper Colorado. browns on the banks. The river tops out around 10 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Brown Trout fishing at Colorado River (Upper)
Spring brown trout on Colorado River (Upper) hold shallow, usually 1 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Piney River confluence, a inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in spring. Best bite is after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 10 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Colorado River (Upper)
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Piney River confluence, a inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 10 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Notable structure
- Piney River confluence: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 7.5): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 11.8): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 14.3): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 16.2): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 18.7): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 21.5): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 23.7): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 25.9): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 27.7): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 30.5): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 32.7): creek channel, around 8 ft
Common questions
How deep is Colorado River (Upper)?
Colorado River (Upper) is about 10 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Colorado River (Upper)?
Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout on Colorado River (Upper).
Where is the best fishing spot on Colorado River (Upper)?
Piney River confluence is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Colorado River (Upper)?
For brown trout, the summer bite is best in after dark and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Sheriff Reservoir · Trappers Lake · Ruedi Reservoir · Turquoise Lake · Willow Creek Reservoir · Delaney Butte North
See how Colorado River (Upper) stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Colorado · best brown trout lakes in Colorado
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